It’s that time of year again, we’re already half way through the year and I have to admit it hasn’t been my *best* reading year especially after starting 2021 recovering from covid! That said, there have been some great reads, so let’s take a look at where I am so far!

My goal: 50 books

My Harsh Reality: As of writing I’ve read 42 books. However! My original goal was 100 at the start of the year but Goodreads kept telling me how ‘behind’ I was so I decided to change it to 50 and I’ll review the goal once I hit it. I can see myself reading about 75 books this year if I’m still not 100%.

Let’s get cracking.

Best Book of the Year- So Far

The novel just managed to sneak in as I wrote this post and oh wow I loved it. This novel takes us back to Victorian London but also takes place in the present day. We follow two women and one girl as big changes take place in their lives and they’re all seamlessly interwoven. There’s murder and revenge but also a lot of heart and understanding. It’s pretty brilliant.

Best Sequel Read in 2021

No other sequel I’ve read has lived up to it – this was an excellent follow up to the ACOTAR series, one of my favourites. This is now competing for my favourite book of the series in general because while Nesta isn’t always likeable she is real. She feels a deep level of pain, anger and lashes out. The fact that she isn’t perfect makes the novel even more powerful and I can’t wait to see what comes next. It’s a brilliantly written book.

Newest Release I Haven’t Read Yet, But I Want To

While One Last Stop is actually out as I write this, my copy has been held up so I’m eagerly waiting for it to arrive. I absolutely loved Red, White and Royal Blue and can’t wait to read another book by the author. Also this one has time travel? I’m down.

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year

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Can I pick 2 here? Mostly because they’re both the final book in series’s that I’ve loved.

First up Gods and Monsters by Shelby Mahurin and after the cliffhanger in book 2 I need to know what’s happening to Lou and Reid, also even though it came out last year I’m still not over what happened in Blood and Honey. It’s out next month, the 27th July 2021 and I have everything crossed my copy comes on time because I cannot handle spoilers.

Next is the final book in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series which I took way too long to pick up. I loved the first, was hooked on the second and I’m intrigued to see what the third holds especially as this time it’s a threat against Pip herself. It’s released on the 5th August on the UK.

Biggest Disappointment

This was hard because I don’t think there’s anything I was really looking forward to that disappointed me, I guess it would have to be Dearly by Margaret Atwood. I’d just heard so many good things and I just didn’t connect with it at all.

Biggest Surprise 

I can’t remember how I came across The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott but it looked interesting. This is Zoe Thorgood’s debut and that fact was a huge surprise. This is an excellent book with a stunning art style and it’s made me incredibly excited to see Zoe’s career develop, also her Instagram is great.

Favourite New Author

I’m currently really into Tillie Walden books and I’m slowly picking them all up – I really love the art style and the stories find a way to pull at my heart strings, no matter what their length. I’m really hoping to find a few more of her books when I’m next in London and am let loose in Forbidden Planet.

Most Beautiful Book I’ve Bought This Year

This picture doesn’t do it justice, the colours, the design, there’s foiling. It is *chef’s kiss* also I really loved this book, it’s perfect for any lover of books. Also, Cathy Rentzenbrink is really, really lovely.

Books To be Read By The End of The Year

I have a huge TBR in my house and there’s so many that I need to get to which includes (but isn’t limited to):

The Wolf Den – Elodie Harper

Circe – Madeline Miller

The Missing of Clair De Line – Christelle Dabos

Malibu Rising – Taylor Jenkins Reid

Lycanthropy and other Chronic Illnesses – Kristen O’Neal

What are you looking forward to this year? Let me know below!